Caught off guard and regretting my response.

Today while spending some “me time” around the square doing crossword puzzles, drinking iced tea, etc.  Two women approached me asking me what restaurants are good in the area.  I reply with, “What kind of food do you want to eat?”  and they respond, “Healthy, vegetarian.”  I say, “Oh, ok, I’m a vegetarian too,” and I start to name a couple of my favorite restaurants around the capital square, I eventually send them off to The Capital Taphaus on State St.  They have a pretty good vegetarian sandwich.  They thank me and head on their way.

I was really caught off guard with this inquiry and as I walked home I knew there was a place I had forgotten about.  I thought and thought and halfway home it hit me.  The Great Dane Pub and Brewery.  AHHHH.  I wanted to run all the way back and find those ladies and send them to The Great Dane!  I have a food blog for crying out loud!  How could I not blurt this out immediately??  I blame downtown Madison for having so many restaurants.

So I think it’s time I let you all in on some amazing food and beer.

The Great Dane Pub and Brewery is one of our go-to places around here.  They have a diverse menu with a good amount of vegetarian options including pizzas, amazing mac and cheese, falafel, a veggie burrito, and more.  They also have great burgers, fish and chips, and lots of Sconnie favorites.

But the best Sconnie favorite that they have there is their beer! The Great Dane is a brewery and their beer is very very good.  Being a light-beer drinker I usually stick to the Landmark Light and the Crop Circle Wheat, but no matter what kind of beer you like they have a delicious option for you.

My only gripe about this place is their selection of side items.  I only get the fries there because all the other sides I have tried including their coleslaw and cous cous have been majorly disappointing. 
Other than that though, the rest of the food, the atmosphere, and the service are great.

I apologize to the women that I sent to the Taphaus, hopefully they still have a good lunch and a nice time there.  It is a great place, but The Great Dane would have definitely been a better choice for them.  I will not make this mistake again! : )

Insider Tip:  Sometimes this place gets crowded, so if you’re just going there for drinks, there is a Rathskellar with its own bar downstairs that a lot of people don’t know about.  I always seem to find seating down there.

Madison's Best Late Night Pizza!

Ian's, I dub you, best late night pizza in Madison. Open until bar time, Ian's gives the University crowd the fourth meal fix they need after a Thirsty Thursday kind of day. Offering pizza by the slice covered in any topping you could think of, Ian's caters to all pizza lovers.

In the picture above you can see me chowing down on a slice of taco pizza...mmmmm (Picture taken by my brother-in-law Adam Roskom, check out his photography!). Taco pizza! you say? Sounds crazy, but that's a normal slice compared to others they serve. Ian's has a large variety of specialty pizzas and seems to have something new every time I stop by.

They are best known for their mac-n-cheese pizza, which is covered in elbow macaroni and lots of good Wisconsin cheese. My husband's favorite is the BBQ steak and fries pizza. Yes, I said fries on pizza. Yum! You can also find, chicken pot pie pizza, Chili Cheese Frito pizza, gyro pizza, and so much more. All are seasoned perfectly and the crust is amazing. It is soft, but crispy and there's just enough of it.

The atmosphere at Ian's is great too. Chill for a quick lunch in the afternoon, and rowdy on a Saturday night. Prepare to wait in line for a bit if you get there around 1am on a weekend as it will be full of college students looking for an after midnight snack. In Madison there are two locations, one on Frances St. and one on State. I prefer the State St. location myself as it tends to be a little less crowded.

Whether you're a college kid, or not, Ian's offers a fun and tasty meal. Next time you're in town for say a Badger game, farmers market, or stroll around town, make sure you stop and have a slice!